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Synonyms

lei

1 American  
[ley, ley-ee] / leɪ, ˈleɪ i /

noun

plural

leis

  1. (in the Hawaiian Islands) a wreath of flowers, leaves, etc., for the neck or head.

lei 2 American  
[ley] / leɪ /

noun

  1. plural of leu.

lei 1 British  
/ leɪ /

noun

  1. (in Hawaii) a garland of flowers, worn around the neck

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
lei 2 British  
/ leɪ /

noun

  1. the plural of leu

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lei

Borrowed into English from Hawaiian around 1835–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He added a bookshelf, filling it with items, such as Daniel’s boyhood rock collection and a lei from their trip to Maui.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2025

In return he promised monthly top-up payments of 5,000 Moldovan lei to pensioners, or about £200.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2024

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he once said on a broadcast, tie-dyed T-shirt on, a Hawaiian lei around his neck.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2024

Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu draped lei on the fence.

From Washington Times • Oct. 25, 2023

I wave to prove to her that I’m nice and friendly, the sort of person you might want to give a free lei to.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.